Breaking Records- The Parallel Album
by StormWolf10
Summary: Fourth in the Breaking Records series. The Doctor and Rose begin work on their second album, but life outside of the recording studio threatens to complicate their lives, something they really don't need while trying out a new dynamic in the studio...
1. Track 1

**A/N: Not exactly much happening in this chapter, music-wise at least, but it's necessary for the story. Sorry for the delay in getting this up!**

"Sorry to break this impromptu jamming session up," Jack announced, poking his head round the door of the recording studio "but your mobile's ringing, Rose."

He tossed Rose her mobile before shutting the door again. Smiling apologetically at the Doctor, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Rose! Oh thank god I was able to get hold of you!" Jackie exclaimed loudly down the phone, making Rose wince "You'll never guess what's happened!"

Rose opened her mouth to reply to her Mum, but Jackie had already continued.

"Know I said Bev set me up that online dating thingy? Well, I went on a date from someone on there last night. Didn't really want to go, but Bev insisted. I mean, I could've ended up meeting a crazy axe-murderer, or something! But anyway, love, I went on the date and met this bloke, and you'll never guess what his name was!"

This time, Jackie did pause, and Rose replied quickly.

"I don't know, Mum. Why don't you just tell me?"

She heard Jackie huff a bit on the other end of the phone, but Rose really wanted to get back to her guitar lesson with the Doctor.

"Peter Tyler!" Jackie announced, and Rose could hear the grin in her mother's voice.

However, Rose then realised what her Mother had said, and froze.

"Hang on, Mum, did you say Pete Tyler?" she asked nervously, hoping her Mum didn't hear the slight tremor in her voice.

"Yeah!" Jackie confirmed excitedly "An' I tell you what, he don't half look like your father, too!"

Rose merely gaped, unsure what to say as a lump formed in her stomach.

"Anyway, love, I'm goin' out with him again tonight, so I'd better start getting ready. I'll ring again soon, love you!"

Rose just managed a strained 'love you too, Mum' before Jackie hung up the phone.

"You alright?" the Doctor asked in concern, noting how Rose had become somewhat paler during the phone conversation with Jackie.

"My Mum's gone mad." She murmured, looking at the Doctor with wide eyes.

"Well, tell me something I don't know!" the Doctor joked, attempting to lighten the situation.

"No, really. Her friend Bev made her sign up to one of those dating websites a few months back, and Mum just phoned to say that the guy she went on a date with last night, the one she'd seeing again tonight, his name's Peter Tyler."

"Like your Dad?" the Doctor realised, frowning.

Rose nodded.

"Apparently he looks like him too." Rose replied, meeting the Doctor's eyes "But surely that's not healthy? Dating someone who has the same name and looks like your dead husband?"

"It may just be that your Mum thinks he looks like your Dad," the Doctor assured Rose gently "chances are he doesn't look anything like your Dad."

**~StormWolf10~**

Rose felt a little lightheaded. Actually, she felt _very_ lightheaded. She took a few deep breaths and forced herself to smile at the man, unconsciously reaching behind her to find the Doctor's hand. She was relieved that she'd asked him to come with her now; she'd have surely fallen over by now if she'd come on her own.

"Hello, you must be Rose. Your Mother's told me a lot about you. I'm Pete, by the way." Pete announced with a smile, offering his hand to Rose.

Rose blinked, staring from the all-too-familiar face, to his outstretched hand and back again. Yet again, she forced a smile and shook his hand.

"I understand this may be a bit of a shock for you," Pete continued calmly, smiling gently at her "Jackie explained about how I look like your late Father."

Rose nodded mutely, unable to form any words. She saw Pete frown slightly.

"Would you like a glass of water? You look a little pale." Pete told her worriedly.

Rose opened her mouth to respond, but Pete was already moving to place a chair behind her, and Rose suddenly found herself being lowered into the chair by the Doctor.

"She's not been sleeping," she heard the Doctor say apologetically "I think she's been a bit shocked since Jackie's phone call a few days ago."

"What's this about my phone call a few days ago?" Jackie piped up, coming out of the kitchen with a tea tray laden down with mugs of tea.

She took one look at her pale daughter and rushed over to her, abandoning the drinks on the small wooden dining table Rose was sat at.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Jackie asked worriedly.

Rose nodded and forced herself to smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Just… Just a little shocked, I suppose." Rose assured her Mum weakly.

"Maybe I should go, Jaqs," Pete piped up uncertainly, watching Rose worriedly.

"No, no, it's fine," Rose told him with a weak smile "'s just a lot to take in."

The group descended into an awkward silence, and Rose's eyes fluttered closed, her head propped up with one hand.

"Why don't you get home, love?" Jackie suggested reluctantly "You look like you could use the sleep."

"D'you mind?" Rose asked her Mum tiredly.

"No, of course not." Jackie replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes "You get yourself home and into bed. You look exhausted."

With a weak smile, Rose stood and hugged her Mum goodbye before allowing the Doctor to help her slip into her coat. They bid both Jackie and Pete goodbye- Pete shaking the Doctor's hand and insisting that next time they had more time to talk- and headed out of Jackie's small flat. Pete Tyler had looked rather out of place in that small council flat, the Doctor decided, which wasn't surprising when he'd casually explained that he was the creator of the recently-popular brand of soft drinks called 'Vitex'. He'd been made a millionaire overnight, and- according to the papers- now owned a large estate on the outskirts of north London, but had agreed to meet Rose at Jackie's flat in the hope that it would make her less nervous about meeting him. It hadn't worked, and the Doctor was itching to know why.

"So," he began conversationally, glancing down at Rose as she walked along beside him "was your Mum right?"

"Sorry?" Rose asked in confusion as they descended the concrete stairs.

"Well, your Mum reckoned he looked like your Dad, and I just wondered if it was true." The Doctor replied, looking down at her again.

Rose had gone pale again, biting her lip. The Doctor suddenly stopped, not caring that they were halfway down a flight of stairs in a stairwell that smelled of urine. Rose, confused, stopped with him, and risked a glance up before ducking her head again.

"Rose?" the Doctor prompted gently, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently.

Reluctantly, Rose looked up at him, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears.

"He looks like your Dad, doesn't he?" the Doctor asked softly.

Rose nodded, and the Doctor sighed, tugging her into his side as they continued down the stairs.

"I dunno why I'm gettin' so upset about it," Rose sniffed, her free hand going up to wipe at her eyes "'s not like I ever really knew my Dad."

"Yeah, but your Mum told you about him, and showed you pictures of him." The Doctor pointed out calmly "It's only natural for you to get a little…uptight and nervous about this man who looks like your Dad, shares the same name as your Dad and appears to be dating your Mum."

The Doctor pulled a face at that, and Rose giggled slightly as they finally made it outside. They remained in silence for a good few minutes as they made their way out of the Powell Estate and headed for the train station.

"You know," the Doctor piped up conversationally after a while "you could speak to your Mum about it. Tell her you're not sure about him."

"And make her upset?" Rose asked incredulously, sniffing again as she looked up at him "Doctor, my Mum's been on her own for the best part of twenty years now. Sure, she's had boyfriends, but they never lasted long, and I've never seen her look at anyone like how she looked at Pete earlier… Well, not unless you count her wedding photos of her and Dad."

"But you said so yourself, a few days ago. Dating someone who looks like your dead husband probably isn't healthy." The Doctor pointed out gently as they weaved through the London tourist crowds.

"Mum seems fine though." Rose countered with a shrug.

"I know," the Doctor replied quietly as he finally spotted the train station "you're Mum seems fine. It's you I'm worried about."


	2. Track 2

**A/N: In which work on the album moves forward (albeit not very far…) Read and review :)**

Jack dropped a newspaper onto the kitchen table, causing the Doctor to jump and almost spill tea down his t-shirt. Blinking, the Doctor looked up at Jack in confusion.

"Page 6." Jack told him, already moving to switch the kettle on.

Still confused and brow furrowed, the Doctor put his tea down and picked up the newspaper, flipping it open to page 6. There, halfway down the page, was a large photo of the Doctor, Rose and Jack heading back from a pub they'd went to the week before. As was routine for them now, Rose and the Doctor were holding hands, laughing at some long-forgotten joke Jack had told them. Above the picture, in bold black newsprint was the headline 'Are the Doctor and Rose Tyler dating?'. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the article and dropped it back onto the table, looking at Jack.

"This was what you wanted me to see?" the Doctor asked the man, eyebrow raised.

"What did Jack want you to see?" Rose asked from the doorway.

Both men looked up to see Rose, still clad in her rumpled pyjamas, leant against the kitchen doorway. Her hair was a mess and could do with a brush, and her face was as of yet devoid of makeup.

"Yet another newspaper article trying to claim that we're a couple." The Doctor told her, rolling his eyes.

Rose chuckled and crossed to the kitchen counter where Jack was making two mugs of coffee- one for her, one for him.

"I thought you two would want to know." Jack muttered "Put a stop to it."

"Why?" Rose asked, brow furrowing slightly "It's not like they're trying to give the record company a bad reputation. It's all just fan speculation anyway."

The Doctor nodded at that, taking a sip of his mug of tea.

"Well, yeah, but how long before it gets out of hand?" Jack asked them "One minute you're dating, the next minute you're doing drugs or something!"

Both the Doctor and Rose gave Jack a funny look and he shrugged.

"Don't mind me, just trying to keep our reputations intact." He told them.

"Well, what do you suggest, Jack? We've already come to the conclusion we can't afford a manager." The Doctor reminded his friend.

Jack's brow furrowed then, and he thought hard for a minute or so, oblivious to the unimpressed looks the Doctor and Rose were sharing behind his back.

"How about Twitter?" Jack asked suddenly, spinning around with a grin on his face.

"Sorry?" the Doctor and Rose asked in unison.

"Or Facebook. Heck, any kind of social media site will do!" Jack told them, eyes wide now "Just somewhere you can post stuff; pictures, random little things about your day, _anything_. That way, the fans will be more likely to check _there_ for new information rather than gossip magazines and tabloids! Also then, you can control what the fans see. You could post photos of us rehearsing and stuff, behind the scenes photos that will keep fans interested and excited."

Rose's eyes widened at that.

"So that way the tabloids won't be as interested in following us around?" she asked hopefully.

"Don't bet on it." The Doctor told her warningly, before turning his gaze to Jack "Although it sounds like a good idea."

Jack grinned.

"I'll go grab my laptop then, shall I?" he asked his two friends with a grin.

**~StormWolf10~**

"That's it?" Rose asked uncertainly, watching the computer screen over Jack's shoulder.

"That's it." Jack confirmed, glancing at her "We've got Twitter accounts."

"Well, now what?" the Doctor asked uncertainly.

"We tweet something?" Rose suggested.

"Like what, though?" the Doctor asked "And come to think of it, why didn't we just make a group one?"

"We can make a group one when we can afford a manager to run the damn thing." Jack replied, looking over at the Doctor "Else we'll never finish this new album we're starting due to us all arguing over who forgot to update the Twitter account."

Rose chuckled at that as the Doctor's head bobbed in agreement.

"Ok," the Doctor announced suddenly, bringing them back to the moment "suppose we'd better send our first tweet…"

**~StormWolf10~**

After much deliberation, the trio simply agreed to send a generic 'look who's on Twitter!' for their first tweets, with attached photos of themselves in the recording studio. After that, they got down to working on the upcoming album.

"So," Jack piped up from behind his drum kit "we do, what, ten, eleven songs on the album?"

"Yep," the Doctor nodded "but I wanna try something different for the album."

"Like what?" Rose asked in confusion.

They'd been working on the album for a few weeks, but the Doctor hadn't mentioned that this album would be produced differently to their previous EP and album.

"Well, we don't have to do it if you don't want," the Doctor began uncertainly, tugging on his ear as his eyes locked with Rose's "but I was wondering if you wanted to be lead guitarist."

Rose blinked, her hand unconsciously tightening on her guitar that was resting on her knees.

"Me?" she asked uncertainly, eyes widening.

"If you want." The Doctor repeated with an uncertain smile "You could be lead vocalist too."

"Right…" Rose replied slowly, unsure how to respond "And you don't think I'll muck it up?"

"Course not, Rose!" Jack chipped in with a grin "You're really quite good at guitar now, and we write our own music so we can make sure it's not too difficult. And you're an amazing singer."

Rose blushed at that, ducking her head, but both men saw her slight smile at Jack's words.

"Anyway," the Doctor continued suddenly, interrupting the silence "you don't have to decide right now. We've still got a week or two before we begin recording, so you've got some time to decide."

"No, no, I'll do it." Rose broke in quickly.

"You sure?" the Doctor asked, hoping she'd thought this through.

Rose nodded quickly, and the Doctor grinned.

"Then it's decided, then." He replied with a smile.


	3. Track 3

**A/N: So… This chapter took longer than I thought it would.. I have the outlines for the story planned, I'm just making sure it's not to repetitive with the rest of the series…. Read and Review!**

Rose sighed, rubbing her eyes as her phone buzzed for the umpteenth time. Jack had convinced both her and the Doctor to have Twitter notifications sent to their phones. That was all well and good, except it seemed to be notifying them every time they got new followers, which seemed to be every few minutes. Rose had toyed with the idea of just switching her phone off, but knew she was likely to forget to switch it back on, which would only earn her an angry and panicked phone call from her Mum. Grabbing her phone, she unlocked the touch screen and logged into Twitter. Her brow furrowed, and quickly went to the Doctor's Twitter page. Frowning again, she then went to Jack's. That couldn't be right. They'd barely been on the social networking site fifteen hours and they all had over 5000 followers each. Rose then rolled her eyes when she saw Jack's username on the site. _ JackHarknessTheAwesome_. She and the Doctor had literally just used their names, but of course Jack would have to be different. Well, she'd used her name. Sort of. Her username was, quite simply, _ realrosetyler_, while the Doctor had simply gone for _ theDoctor_. Jack had complained they were being boring, but the Doctor had maintained that the whole idea of them having Twitter accounts was so fans could follow them. Fans couldn't follow them if they had some obscure username that none of their fans knew about. At least Jack hadn't gone overboard in the bio section, and had just written about how he was a drummer with Bad Wolf Records. Rose's brow furrowed further, however, when she saw that Jack had posted several tweets since joining the site, and that she and the Doctor seemed to be tagged in all of them. She hadn't seen the notifications, but then she'd been getting so many she'd just started deleting them, assuming it was more followers. Jack's tweets, however, seemed to consist of a series of photos, all of which showed her and the Doctor in the recording studio. Photos they hadn't been aware Jack had been taking, let alone posting online. They'd all been taken earlier, in their little recording studio. Some of the photos showed the Doctor and Rose playing away at their guitars as they discussed different chords for the songs, strumming along with each other as they tested variations of lyrics. And some of them were just the pair of them laughing at some soon-forgotten joke, or drinking tea during their breaks. Rose blinked in confusion, wondering just when Jack had managed to snap the pictures and why they hadn't noticed what he was doing. After a few minutes, she shook her head and rubbed her temple, dropping her phone back onto her bedside table. A headache was coming on, and it would only be a few hours before the Doctor was up and wanting to continue with rehearsals for the album. Pulling the duvet up to her neck, Rose snuggled back down in her bed and attempted to get a few hours' shuteye.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Wakey, wakey, Rose! Got lots of rehearsing to do today!" the Doctor announced with a grin as he knocked on Rose's bedroom door.

Rose groaned, attempting to burrow back underneath her warm duvet. She hoped that if she ignored the Doctor long enough, he'd leave her alone.

"Rose? Come on, shake a leg!" the Doctor announced again, knocking on the door a little harder.

Rose sighed, rolling onto her back and reluctantly pushing the duvet down. The Doctor evidently wasn't going to leave her alone.

"Gimme a few minutes. I'll be up soon." Rose called back with a deep sigh.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, running a hand through her dishevelled hair. Her alarm clock read six thirty am, meaning she'd had little more than a few hours' sleep. With another sigh, Rose pushed herself out of bed, and headed for her door. By the time she reached the kitchen, the Doctor was already pouring the coffee.

"Did you see the photos Jack put on Twitter?" the Doctor asked as he handed Rose her mug of coffee.

"Yeah." Rose replied with a nod "Kept getting alerts on my mobile all night." She took a sip of her coffee "How'd he even take those photos anyway? I didn't notice him taking any…"

"This is Jack we're talking about," the Doctor pointed out with a smirk "he has his ways."

Rose hummed in agreement and took a seat at the kitchen table, rubbing her eyes.

"You alright?" the Doctor asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Rose sighed "just didn't get much sleep last night. I've gotta call Mum later, too. She wants me to meet up with her an' Pete again."

"Want me to come with you again?" the Doctor asked gently, setting a plate of toast in front of her.

Rose smiled gratefully at him and nodded.

"Yeah. That'll be great." She told him quietly "I think I'm gonna need a hand to hold."


	4. Track 4

**A/N: This chapter was so much fun to write! More of the music side of things here, and more tweeting. If only the photos existed! XD**

"…Because it's just another crash landing, Time and time again, Another crash landing, And I can already see how it ends…"

The Doctor smiled as he continued strumming away on his guitar. Rose grinned back, still singing as she played the lead on her own guitar. If the Doctor had had any doubts about Rose not being able to sing the lead on their next album, they had quickly diminished once rehearsals had started that morning. Jack was grinning at them as he pounded his drums, watching as Rose belted out the lyrics to the song. _Crash Landing_ was just one of the songs the Doctor and Rose had penned for the new album, and although they'd had to alter it slightly to suit Rose's voice better, the songs hadn't been changed that much, which the Doctor was grateful for. The song finally finished and Rose turned to look expectantly at the Doctor.

"Well?" she asked, biting her lip "How did I do?"

"Brilliant!" the Doctor exclaimed with a grin "Absolutely brilliant!"

"You're not just sayin' that, are you?" Rose asked uncertainly, although a small smile was forming on her lips.

"Of course he isn't!" Jack announced before the Doctor could speak "You were amazing, Rose!"

Rose blushed, ducking her head, but both men could see she was smiling.

"Actually," the Doctor piped up "I reckon we're almost ready to begin recording this song."

"Yeah?" Rose asked in shock.

"Yep." The Doctor nodded "I don't see why not."

He then glanced at the clock, and his eyes widened.

"Ah," he murmured, before raising his voice "Rose, we've gotta get going."

"Going?" Rose echoed as the Doctor took her guitar from her and pulled her to her feet "Where?"

"We've got an interview!" the Doctor announced as he pulled her from the room.

Jack rolled his eyes as he heard his two friends hurrying down the stairs. Just before the front door banged shut, he heard Rose yell "Interview?! And you're only telling me now?!"

**~StormWolf10~**

"Hi, I'm Sally Sparrow!"

The journalist shook Rose's hand eagerly, a wide smile on her face. Rose offered the young woman a slightly uncertain smile in response as she took her seat beside the Doctor. Rose still wasn't entirely sure why _Kerrang!_ wanted to interview her, and she really wasn't sure how their music fitted into the magazine's usual tastes. The magazine was even paying for the interview to be done in a private room at a top London hotel. However, Sally Sparrow quickly got down to business and Rose was forced out of her thoughts to pay attention.

"Now," Sally began with a smile, pen poised above notepad "I hope you don't mind me just diving into the questions like this, but what was your first reaction when your debut EP went straight to the UK Number 1 position?"

"Well, we only found out about it when the journalists told us." The Doctor admitted with a smile.

"Yeah, I think…. Well, I can't speak for the Doctor, but I was pretty surprised. I didn't think it'd get top 20, let alone top 10 and number 1!" Rose added with a shrug.

"Doctor, you've been working in the music industry for a number of years now, yes? With a fair share of vocalists. Why do you think your first album with Miss Tyler did so well compared to your previous albums?"

"Well I've always had great vocalists, they've all been great, every single one of them. I only record with the best. It just happens that Rose and I just seemed to… _work_ _together_. I don't know how, but we get on really well in and out of the recording studio." The Doctor explained carefully, trying not to smirk at how Rose was blushing.

"And you didn't get on with your other vocalists outside the recording studio?" Sally questioned, eyebrow raised.

"No, no, that's not it at all. We just didn't hang out as much. I think part of it is because now Rose and I have our own record label too we have more time to ourselves. When I was at Rassilon Records, I was split between working in London and living at home, so a lot of my time when I wasn't recording was spent travelling to and from home."

"And you two also live together?"

"With Jack. Our drummer." Rose chipped in quickly "We decided it would be easier, as the recording studio is at the house anyway."

Sally nodded and made a few more notes.

"And are you two…"

Both the Doctor and Rose blinked in confusion for several minutes, before they realised what Sally was hinted at.

"Oh, we're just friends." The Doctor answered, wide-eyed as Rose replied "Friends. Nothing more." at the same time.

Again, Sally nodded, but seemed to look a little sceptical.

**~StormWolf10~**

The interview lasted another forty minutes or so, and Sally asked them about their upcoming album, their hobbies and why they'd recently joined Twitter. Finally, however, the interview was over, and they shook Sally's hand before leaving the hotel.

"I didn't think it was ever going to end!" Rose sighed as they watched Sally drive off.

The Doctor chuckled.

"It was a little long-winded." The Doctor admitted with a smile "But any little publicity will be useful when we release the next album."

"Yeah, I suppose." Rose agreed, slipping her hand into the Doctor's as they began heading for the train station.

They walked in silence for several minutes before the Doctor suddenly pulled his mobile from his pocket and slipped his hand from Rose's running in front of her and snapping a picture before running down the street, laughing manically. Rose blinked, slightly shocked for a moment or two before she gave chase.

"Oi! What was that for?!" she demanded, laughing as she chased after him.

The Doctor flashed her a grin over his shoulder, and he saw Rose's smile drop. Before he could question it, he hit a brick wall with a sickening thud and fell onto the pavement. There was the sound of hurried footsteps, and Rose was suddenly kneeling beside him.

"You alright?" she asked him, a slight smile on her face although she looked worried.

"Yeah." The Doctor replied, blinking rapidly as he took a deep breath "Yeah, I'm… I'm ok. Bit of a shock, is all. Wasn't expecting to hit a brick wall. Quite literally."

He flashed her a grin and pushed himself up onto his elbows. By some miracle, his mobile phone was still intact, gripped in the palm of his hand.

"What were you even doing?" Rose asked him incredulously, eyebrow raised.

"Was gonna post a photo on Twitter." The Doctor admitted with a small smile.

Rose shook her head, chuckling.

"Did you manage to send it?" Rose asked with a smile.

The Doctor nodded.

"Yep. Just before I ran into the wall."

Rose chuckled again as the Doctor grinned.

"Come on, let's get home. I think you hit your head pretty hard." Rose told him, straightening up and offering the Doctor her hand.

The Doctor grinned and took her offered hand, pushing himself to his feet. He then felt gingerly at the back of his head, grimacing as he pulled it away.

"Uh, Rose," he told her quietly "I think we may need to take a detour to the hospital."

When Rose looked down, the Doctor's fingers were coated in blood.

**~StormWolf10~**

Jack sighed, checking his phone again for the fifth time in as many minutes. The Doctor and Rose had gone out hours ago for the interview, and he really couldn't see why it was taking so long. He contemplated phoning them again, but when he'd tried earlier, their phones had been off. Jack supposed it was too much to hope that they'd finally admitted their feelings for each other, but he couldn't fathom why their phones would be off- the interview wouldn't have taken more than two hours at most. Had they forgotten to switch them back on? Shaking his head, Jack reached for his laptop, switching it on. As soon as it had loaded up, he logged onto Twitter. And frowned. It looked like the Doctor and Rose had been tweeting. The first tweet was from the Doctor, and simply read _theDoctor: me and realrosetyler just had an interview with Kerrang!magazine, _with an attached photograph of Rose evidently heading back from the interview. The next recent tweet was from Rose, and had a photo of the Doctor beaming at the camera, thumbs up as he sat on a hospital gurney in a medical gown. The caption read _realrosetyler: Guess who ran straight into a wall? Hint; it's theDoctor XD_. Jack blinked. That explained why their phones had been off, then, if they were in hospital. Just as Jack was about to log out, another tweet popped up, also from the Doctor. The photo attached to it was of the Doctor and Rose on the train, evidently heading home. The Doctor had a bandage wrapped round his head, making his hair stick haphazardly over the top of it as they both grinned manically at the camera. Jack chuckled as he read the tweet: _theDoctor: Well, safe to say me and realrosetyler had an interesting day out today. I evidently don't cope well in public. Stick to the recording studio perhaps?_


	5. Track 5

**A/N: We're roughly halfway through now, guys, and I'm so, so sorry…**

"Right, boss, if we could do your photos first," Mickey announced, nodding towards the white backdrop he'd set up before the Doctor and Rose had arrived.

"Yep," the Doctor announced, bounding over to stand on the taped mark on the floor.

They were doing the cover shoot for the album cover, with the help of Mickey Smith. Mickey had insisted that although they would only be using one photo of them each, he'd need to take several to get the right one. The next few minutes were spent with Mickey directing the Doctor where he wanted him to look and stand, and then it was Rose's turn.

"What are you guys up to this afternoon, then?" Mickey asked as he took the photos of Rose.

"We've gotta go meet another photographer in Hammersmith." The Doctor replied, taking a swig of water from a bottle "Uncut want to do an article on us. We're meeting Jack there."

"Oh, I bet Captain Cheesecake's gonna love that." Mickey murmured as he finished taking photos and motioned to Rose that she could move.

"Oh, he will." Rose replied with a grin "Won't be so ecstatic about you calling him 'Cheesecake', though."

Mickey merely grinned.

"How're things going with your Mum and that new fella?" Mickey asked as he grabbed his camera and connected it to his battered laptop.

"They're alright," Rose admitted "went to see them last week. They've been dating for about a month now. He seems nice. Still can't quite get over how he looks like my Dad though."

"Can't be bad, though," Mickey continued with a brief glance at Rose "I mean, ain't he the guy at the head of Vitex? Bet your Mum's loving all that cash!"

Rose chuckled slightly and the Doctor grinned. She'd warmed to Mickey a lot since she'd first met him, and had become quite close with him.

"I don't think Mum's worked up the courage to ask about the money yet." Rose admitted with a grin.

Mickey snorted and turned back to his laptop.

"Tell you what, boss," Mickey announced to the Doctor suddenly "why don't you two get off and I'll text you once I've done a mock-up of the cover."

"Cheers, Mickey!" the Doctor announced, grabbing the rucksack he'd brought with him as Rose grabbed her bag.

**~StormWolf10~**

The Doctor dropped his rucksack to the floor, running a hand through his hair. The photographer they were with for the magazine photo shoot was nowhere near as chatty as Mickey. In fact, he'd barely looked at them twice since they'd arrived. Jack had been waiting for them, and even he looked unimpressed.

"Hasn't said a word to me." Jack told the Doctor lowly, jaw clenched "I've been here twenty minutes and he hasn't even said hello."

"Well, maybe he's just busy?" the Doctor suggested quietly, although even he sounded unsure.

Jack blinked at him, sceptical.

"Anyway," Jack continued after a moment "where's Rose?"

"Still getting changed. She'll be in in a minute." The Doctor answered, smoothing down the material of his t-shirt.

As the Doctor and Rose had come straight from the shoot with Mickey, they'd brought clothes to change into so that they wouldn't be wearing the same clothes. Magazines were rather particular about that sort of thing.

"What's up with you two?" Rose asked as she approached them.

"Nothing." The two men chorused quickly, wide-eyed.

Rose raised an eyebrow at them, disbelieving, but before she could say anything, they were being called over for the photo shoot.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Mum, just calm down, yeah? Stop screamin' down the phone… Yes, I'll come round… I'm on my way now… No, I'm at home… Well, do you want the Doctor and Jack to come?... Wha-… I call him 'Doctor' because that's his nickname!... Mum, just… Just, why are you phoning me?... Ok, I'm on my way… Yes. I'll be there soon."

Rose hung up with a sigh. They'd only gotten in from the photo shoot with Uncut about half an hour ago, and she really didn't want to go back out again.

"That your Mum?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"Yep." Rose sighed "Wants me to go round an' see her and Pete. Won't tell me why…"

"What was that about me?" the Doctor asked, frowning slightly.

Rose blinked.

"When you were talking to your Mum. I was mentioned. Why?" the Doctor repeated.

"Oh." Rose remembered "Mum wanted to know why I call you 'Doctor'."

"Why _do_ you still call Theta 'Doctor'?" Jack asked, frowning.

Rose shrugged.

"I dunno, force of habit?" she suggested, unsure.

The Doctor grinned.

"You _can_ call me Theta, you know." The Doctor pointed out with a grin "You _have_ lived with us for months!"

"I know." Rose replied with a small smile "Well, I'd better go see what Mum wants."

**~StormWolf10~**

"Right, I'm here. What was all that yelling down the phone about?" Rose asked as she stepped into her Mum's flat.

She'd let herself in, she still had her old key, and Rose was somewhat confused to find Pete and Jackie stood in the middle of the sitting room, Pete's arm round Jackie's shoulders as they smiled somewhat unnervingly at her.

"What's going on?" Rose asked slowly, stopping in the sitting room doorway.

"Pete and I have something to tell you." Jackie announced with a smile.

"But we want to talk to you about it first." Pete added, looking slightly nervous "It'll be a big change, and I want to make sure you're completely comfortable with it."

"Pete wants me to move in with him!" Jackie blurted suddenly, so excited she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Rose blinked, unsure how to respond. She suddenly found herself reaching unsteadily for the sofa. The few steps it took for her to actually find and sit on it felt like miles, and the room seemed to be spinning. Then her Mum was suddenly in front of her, looking concerned, and Pete had produced a glass of water from somewhere, handing it to her. She took it gratefully, managing a weak smile.

"Are you alright, Rose?" Pete asked nervously as she handed the empty glass back.

Rose nodded weakly.

"Yeah, 'm fine." She insisted quietly.

"You looked like you were about to faint!" Jackie protested, wide-eyed.

"Jaqs, give her some space." Pete told Jackie gently but firmly, tugging Jackie into a standing position.

Jackie huffed as Pete steered her to the armchair opposite.

"Good job we didn't start by tellin' her about you proposin' to me." Jackie huffed.

"What?!" Rose squeaked, wide-eyed.

Jackie sank into the armchair, hand over her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, sweetheart! You weren't meant to find out like that!" Jackie told Rose hurriedly, as Pete stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"You've only been dating a month!" Rose continued, her voice getting higher the more she got worked up.

"It just… It felt right." Jackie replied carefully "Besides, we're not getting married yet. Not for a few months at least. That's another reason we wanted you here."

Rose was still gaping. She could see the new engagement ring on her Mum's finger now, all shiny and new against her older rings. Her previous wedding rings- from Rose's father- had been moved, Rose noted, to the other hand. That made Rose feel a little better; at least Jackie hadn't forgotten that this Pete wasn't her original Pete.

"We were thinking of going to America, Rose," Pete chipped in, speaking for the first time in several minutes "but we won't be going for a few months."

"To live?" Rose questioned, eyes narrowing at the man.

"Possibly. But not yet. The trip in a few months will simply be for a holiday, but if we like it then we are considering moving there, yes. But we'd like you to come with us on the holiday. Just the three of us, a nice family holiday."

Rose blinked for a few moments, struggling to take it all in. And then she was on her feet and storming out the door.


	6. Track 6

**A/N: Dodgy timeline is dodgy… I've worked out that, what with the EP, and the album, and the single, Rose has been with the Doctor and Jack for about two years now, meaning she's twenty-one :)**

"Rose? Rose, please come out. We're worried about you. Your Mum's been phoning again." Jack sighed as he knocked on Rose's bedroom door for the umpteenth time.

Rose hadn't come out of her bedroom for over a day, not since she'd stormed into the house after her trip to her Mum's flat. Jackie had called barely an hour later to explain what had happened, and the Doctor had spent the night outside Rose's bedroom door, vowing that he wouldn't move until Rose agreed to talk to him. In the end, Jack had sent the man to bed at around lunchtime, as he was almost dead on his feet.

"Come on, Rose," Jack tried again, resting his head against the wood of Rose's bedroom door "if you don't wanna talk, we can go up to the recording studio and rehearse?"

There was a sound on the other side of the door, and for a moment, Jack really thought that Rose was going to open the door. She didn't.

"Still won't come out?"

Jack jumped at the sound of the Doctor's voice, spinning round to look at the man. The Doctor was dressed only in a thin pair of pyjama bottoms, hair still a mess, and it was evident he'd just woken up. Jack shook his head mutely and the Doctor sighed, heading for the kitchen. He came back barely a minute later, screwdriver in hand.

"What're you doing?" Jack asked in confusion.

"If she won't open the door, we'll just take the door off." The Doctor replied calmly, already beginning to work at the door hinges.

Jack watched in shock as the Doctor proceeded to use the screwdriver until Rose's door could be lifted clear out of the frame. As they did so, Jack couldn't help but smirk at Rose's shocked expression as the Doctor moved her bedroom door.

"You can have it back once you talk to us." The Doctor told her calmly, noting Rose's shocked expression.

"Did you just confiscate my bedroom door?" Rose asked in confusion.

"Yes." The Doctor replied "As I said, you can have it back after you talk to us."

"There's nothing to talk about." Rose told them calmly, turning from where she'd been stood just inside her bedroom to walk over and lay on her bed face-down.

"Rose, you've just found out that your Mum's gotten engaged and wants you to go on a holiday to America with the man who will be your step-Dad. There's a lot to talk about." The Doctor replied, arms folded across his bare chest.

Rose didn't reply, and the Doctor stepped into her room, making his way over and sitting on the edge of her bed, hand going to rest between her shoulder blades. Jack shook his head slightly at them. For any other man to touch Rose the way the Doctor was touching her, Rose would have to be dating them; the touch was intimate, affectionate, and Jack knew that even if it were him, Rose would be at least a little tense. But it was the Doctor touching her. And for some reason, some unspoken secret, Rose was fine with the Doctor touching her like that. And the Doctor was fine touching her like that. The pair of them must be blind, Jack decided, they both loved each other fiercely and yet they were continuing this stupid game.

"What if Mum decides she wants to move to America?" Rose asked suddenly, quietly as she turned slightly to look at the Doctor and Jack.

"Well, you can still phone her. And email her. Let's face it; what with the new album you don't see her much anymore anyway." Jack pointed out, entering the room to sit on the floor in front of Rose's bed.

"I know, but…" Rose began uncertainly "It's nice havin' her close by. It's nice knowin' that all I have to do if I wanna visit her is jump on a train and be there in an hour. I don't wanna have to book flights, and pack bags, and order taxis, and travel halfway across the world to see her!"

"Rose, I know you'll miss your Mum, but you've got to see things from her perspective." The Doctor told her gently "She's still in that flat, without you. You moved out over a year ago now, you've created your own life. You're _living your own life_. Don't you think it's time your Mum continues living _her_ life? She raised you on her own for the best part of twenty-one years now, and she wants to do things on her own. We don't even know if she's moving to America yet, anyway. It's just a holiday, with you and Pete. She might not even like it there."

Rose snorted softly at that, glaring up at her ceiling stubbornly.

"Rose, your Mum moving to America isn't going to change anything. Her getting married isn't going to change anything. You're her only daughter, that's never going to change, whether you live an hour away or ten hours away. You're her daughter, and I know for the fact that Jackie's ridiculously proud of you." The Doctor continued softly.

The last sentence earned the Doctor a small, disbelieving smile from Rose.

"Yeah?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." The Doctor agreed with a smile "Come on, look at you, Rose! We've done an EP, a charity single, an album, _and_ you're lead guitarist and vocalist on our second album! Of course Jackie's proud of you! We all are!"

At some point while they were talking, Rose had sat up slightly, and the Doctor had ended up leaning over, almost to the point of straddling her. The pair seemed to be oblivious to their somewhat-compromising positions, and Jack internally sighed before standing up and excusing himself from the room. It was times like these that he wished he was seeing someone.


	7. Track 7

**A/N: Ok, so Rose is a bit of a bitch in this chapter… Not what I wanted to happen, but I think it's entirely justifiable given the circumstances…**

"Hi, Jackie," Jack told the woman, smiling uncertainly as he stepped back to let her into the house "Rose is upstairs with Theta."

Jackie nodded, smiling slightly as she stepped into the house, Pete just behind her. She looked around in interest, noting the photos on the walls- photos of the Doctor and Rose, the Doctor and Jack, Rose and Jack, and the three of them together. Jackie had only been to their house a few times, and she was almost certain that a lot of the photos hadn't been there the last time she'd visited.

"Wanna come on up?" Jack asked, already heading up the stairs.

As the ascended the staircase, they could hear guitars being played, and Pete chuckled.

"This recording studio of yours isn't very sound-proof, is it?" he asked Jack with a smile.

Jack looked over his shoulder, flashing the man a grin before shrugging.

"It's not bad." He replied "The external wall is sound-proofed, so the neighbours don't hear anything more than a slight murmur, but we couldn't afford to get the whole room sound-proofed."

"You only sound-proofed one wall?" Jackie asked incredulously.

"No." Jack replied, frowning "We sound-proofed three walls. The wall with the door isn't sound-proofed."

Jackie blinked in confusion. They'd reached the top of the stairs, and she stared at the shabby door in shock. She'd never seen the recording studio before, hadn't been upstairs before.

"What's with the paint on the door?" Jackie asked, noting the wooden door was streaked with dark blue paint.

"Paint gun. Needless to say, Theta confiscated it from me after that." Jack shrugged.

Jack then stepped forward, knocking loudly on the door to the recording studio. The music inside stopped, and moments later, the door opened, the Doctor poking his head round.

"Jack, what- Oh, hello, Jackie! Didn't know you were coming! And Pete! Come in!"

Both Jackie and Pete blinked in confusion as they were ushered into the small recording studio. Rose was sat on the battered sofa, still strumming away on her guitar, although she looked up when they entered the room.

"Mum! What're you doing here?" Rose asked in confusion.

"Pete and I need to talk to you." Jackie explained "We were booking the flights for our trip to America, and we need to know if you're coming or not."

"Couldn't you have just phoned me?" Rose asked "We're trying to finish up the last few songs for the album. We've gotta record them all by the end of the month, then we've got to edit them, then…"

"Rose, you can take a day off," the Doctor cut in, sitting on a stool next to the microphone "one day isn't gonna knock the recording schedule off-kilter."

Rose glared at him, before sighing.

"I don't know whether I'm going to America with you." She announced to Jackie suddenly, eying Pete warily for a moment or two "We don't even know what's happening after this album. And then there's the press, and we still don't have enough money for a manager, and I really can't afford a trip to America."

"Oh, that's alright, Pete's paying!" Jackie announced with a smile.

"Oh yes, and while I remember, Jack said something about how you couldn't afford for the whole studio to be sound-proofed?" Pete piped up, looking at the Doctor, who just blinked owlishly "Well, I could help with that. A cheque ok?"

This only made Rose glare at the man even more, and Pete shifted awkwardly under Rose's gaze.

"How about me and Jack go make some tea, yeah?" the Doctor announced suddenly with a grin "Give you three some time to discuss this."

"There's nothing to discuss, Theta." Rose replied with a shrug, before looking over at Jackie and Pete "If you two don't mind, some of us actually have to work to earn money."

"Now hang on a minute, young lady!" Jackie snapped suddenly, causing Rose's eyes to go wide as Jack and the Doctor made a hasty retreat downstairs to the kitchen "All Pete wants to do is take you on holiday! There's no need to be rude!"

Rose set her jaw, looking away across the room.

"It's easy for you to say when he's spendin' all his money on you." Rose muttered.

"That isn't true!" Jackie protested quickly, moving to sit beside Rose and forcing her daughter to look at her.

"Oh, so he wasn't flashin' his money around just now, then?" Rose asked bitterly.

Pete blinked, and quickly moved round, cautiously crouching in front of Rose.

"I admit, in hindsight, that was probably a fairly arrogant thing to do. Your Mum was explaining how Theta saved up his own money for the record deal, and I just wanted to help out. I didn't mean to upset you, Rose, but we're going to be family." Pete told her calmly.

Rose softened slightly at that, but was still wary of the man crouched in front of her.

"You can't just flash your cheque book at me an' expect me to go along with everything." Rose told him quietly "Me and Theta and Jack worked hard to build the record label up from nothin', you can't just walk in and start handing money out."

The tension in the air was so thick Rose was sure she could cut through it with Jack's penknife. Pete sniffed slightly, readjusting his tie and opening his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, though, Jack barrelled into the room.

"Who's for chocolate biscuits?!"

**~StormWolf10~**

"So you'll come to America with us?" Jackie asked with a small smile.

Rose took a deep breath and nodded, managing a weak smile as her Mum squealed in delight and hugged her.

"Yeah. As long as Pete understands I don't want him spendin' loads of money on me just to make me like him. And as long as he knows he's not replacing Dad." Rose replied quietly.

"I never thought either of those things for a minute, Rose." Pete assured her gently, causing Rose to look over at him.

"I just wanna make it clear, though." Rose answered.

Pete nodded, smiling slightly.

"So," Jackie announced suddenly, grinning "Pete and I were thinking LA. What do you think, Rose?"

Before Rose could reply, however, Jackie was speaking again, and she had to stifle a giggle when she saw the Doctor roll his eyes over her Mum's shoulder.

"We were thinking of going end of July, beginning of August. Of course, we still have to book the flights, but Pete said we'll be flying first class, isn't that right, Pete? So, keep your diary clear for July and August and I'll phone you once we know the exact dates, alright, sweetheart?"

Rose blinked as Jackie kissed her on the forehead again. In fact, Rose wasn't entirely sure how her Mother hadn't just passed out she'd been speaking so fast.

"I guess?" Rose replied uncertainly.

"Good." Jackie replied with a smile "Well, Pete and I had better be going now, I'll speak to you soon!"

And with that, Jackie Tyler swept out of the front door, Pete trailing after her like a confused puppy.


	8. Track 8

**A/N: I've realised now why it took me so long to update between chapters two and three- I DON'T WANNA FINISH THIS STORY! I'm literally dreading the ending…**

"Now, your new album is out next month, yes?"

"Yeah, we're just putting the finishing touches to it now, finishing off a few songs, polishing stuff up, that sort of thing. A great mate of ours, Mickey Smith emailed me with the album design yesterday, so that's done." The Doctor explained, nodding slightly.

The trio were halfway through an interview on BBC Breakfast, their first-ever television interview, and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Now, we have some questions sent in from fans. Number one, who would you say is the biggest flirt in the group?"

"Jack!" the Doctor and Rose chorused immediately, both grinning while Jack tried- and failed- to look shocked and appalled.

"Ok, number two, this is for Jack, do you mind not being centre of attention on the albums?"

"Well, the way I see it, I have to keep the rhythm going, so I've got a pretty important job," Jack explained with a grin "and if I ever think these two are getting too cocky, I'll just start drumming louder!"

This earned him a chuckle from everyone in the studio, including the Doctor and Rose.

"Seriously, though," Jack continued after a moment or two "these two guys are great. They're my two best friends. If I were drumming for any other two artists, I probably would get a little annoyed about the lack of press coverage for me, but these two always make sure I'm included. Even when I'm not at the interviews, they seem to slot me into a question and mention me!"

"Now, you guys joined Twitter a while ago, too. Why did you do that?"

"It was kind of a joint decision," the Doctor admitted as Jack and Rose nodded.

"Yeah, we sort of decided it would be a good idea." Rose added "We figured that fans would be more likely to check on there for new information on the albums and stuff rather than believe everything they read in the papers. It was mostly done to stop rumours and stuff from starting."

"But you've added quite a lot of photos of each other since joining, haven't you?"

The trio laughed, nodding as some of the photos they'd tweeted flashed up on the screen behind them. Some of them were perfectly normal, like a picture of the Doctor and Rose side by side outside the pub they often went to, or a photo of Jack at his drum kit while they rehearsed. Others, however, included the one of the Doctor and Rose on the train, the Doctor with a bandage round his head from when he'd ran into the brick wall, and the Doctor in a medical gown on a hospital gurney, and Rose and Jack pulling silly faces at the camera.

"Yeah, Jack started it." Rose announced with a grin "Kept posting photos of us rehearsing without us noticing. And then the Doctor decided to join in, and ran into a brick wall, so I posted a photo of him to get him back."

"After that it just sort of escalated," the Doctor shrugged, beaming "posting photos of us in the recording studio and stuff, all the normal photos you see there," he nodded at the screen "but also the weirder ones too."

"And you're not at all bothered by the fact there's now some pretty strange photos of you out there on the internet?"

"Not really." Jack announced with a shrug, grinning "Because we're the ones who put them out there. It's better than the media putting them out there, because at least with the photos on Twitter, we know who put them there. And the fans seem to enjoy it."

Jack finished the statement with a wink at the camera, and Rose giggled while the Doctor shook his head, rubbing his eye.

**~StormWolf10~**

"That went better than expected." Rose admitted as they headed out of the BBC studio.

"You mean aside from the fact Jack just winked at thousands of viewers?" the Doctor asked with a grin.

"Aside from that." Rose agreed.

Jack merely grinned and shrugged at them, slipping his jacket on.

"What can I say?" he asked with a smirk "The ladies love me!"

"Yeah, well, _the ladies_ haven't lived with you for two years." Rose replied calmly.

Jack's smile faltered slightly, and Rose poked her tongue out at him while the Doctor laughed.

"Just because you're missing out, Rose." Jack replied after a moment, his grin back.

Rose shook her head, smiling as she leant her head against the Doctor's shoulder. His arm went round her waist automatically, and Jack blinked. The pair were so close to kissing now that it was driving him nuts. Not only had Rose begun to constantly call the Doctor 'Theta', but they had moved on from the constant-hand-holding and occasional-hugs to walking down the street with the Doctor's arm around her waist. And yet neither had told the other how they felt. Their body language was practically screaming it, with every little smile, and touch, and movement. And yet the words had not yet passed their lips. Jack bit back a groan of frustration as they exited the BBC building and climbed into a taxi.


	9. Track 9

**A/N: One more chapter left after this, guys. Don't worry, it's not the end of the series!**

"So? What do you think?" the Doctor asked, gazing at Rose expectantly.

He was stood in the middle of their average-sized kitchen, the table between him and Rose, and the radio muttering away in the background as some over-enthusiastic DJ announced the next song.

"They look great!" Rose announced, grinning "Mickey did a brilliant job!"

"That he did." the Doctor agreed with a smile, turning the CD around to stare at the cover "I was thinking of asking him to send over the artwork for each of the CDs, you know, so we could frame them and put them up in the recording studio?"

The Doctor looked- and sounded- a little unsure, but Rose nodded eagerly.

"Sounds like a great idea!" Rose assured him "Has Jack seen the cover yet?"

"Not yet. He went out to get milk. He'll probably come back with ice cream though." The Doctor replied, pulling a face.

Rose rolled her eyes. Jack was notorious for going out to get the shopping and coming back with a load of junk. Even when they sent him out with a shopping list he tended to forget to buy things they _actually_ _needed_. The last time he went shopping, he came back with three big bags of crisps, some cans of lager and a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (not that Rose had complained about the ice cream). Although it was stuff they liked, it hadn't helped the next morning when the Doctor had gotten up and found that the only thing they had in the house to pour on his cornflakes was a can of Fosters. The Doctor was pulled from his thoughts as Rose plucked the CD from his fingers.

"And the album's definitely out today, yeah?" Rose asked, brow furrowed as she turned the CD over in her hands "So how come Mickey only sent it to us today? What if we didn't like it?"

"But we don't though, do we?" the Doctor asked, shrugging "We'd already seen the album artwork and agreed on it. We just hadn't actually held a real copy in our hands."

"Suppose." Rose agreed with a shrug, setting the CD on the kitchen table before sighing. "So, it's out there, then."

"Yep." The Doctor agreed with a grin "An entire album! Our entire album! An entire album with you singing lead vocals! I bet it'll sell out immediately!"

Rose snorted.

"I know you're trying to cheer me up, Theta, but it's not working." Rose told him plainly.

The Doctor grinned at her, and Rose couldn't help but smile just a bit though.

"Ah!" the Doctor announced suddenly, beaming as he pointed at her "That, Rose Tyler, that was a smile!"

"Wasn't." Rose replied, shaking her head adamantly.

"Oh, it definitely was! I know a smile when I see it, and that definitely _was_ a smile!"

"Well, you must be mistaken, because I didn't smile." Rose told him, head ducked now as her smile grew.

"Go on, then." The Doctor announced suddenly "Look me in the eyes and tell me that wasn't a smile."

Rose replied staring at her sock-clad feet, and the Doctor let out a laugh.

"See?!" He crowed in delight "You can't, can you? Because that was most definitely a smile!"

Rose couldn't help but grin then, finally meeting his eyes before letting out a surprised, breathy sound as the Doctor swooped her into a hug, lifting her clear off the ground for a moment or two. When he finally set her back on her feet again, the Doctor's smile had faded slightly.

"The album's finished. It's out there, for all the world to see, and buy, and listen to." He murmured, eyes locking with hers.

"Yeah." Rose agreed, slightly breathless at their proximity.

"And we both know what that means."

"Yeah." Rose agreed again, smile fading "I'm going to America."

The sentence hung heavily in the air as both of them digested the information. They stayed that way for seconds, minutes, before the Doctor finally spoke.

"Still," he announced, attempting a cheery tone "it's only, what, three weeks?"

"Four." Rose corrected with a small smile "But I'm sure it'll be over before we know it. And I'll have my phone; we can still text and call and email each other."

The Doctor nodded, stepping back slightly, and Rose missed his body warmth immediately.

"Yeah." The Doctor agreed with a grin- although it was nowhere near as manic as usual "I'm sure it'll be fine. Give me some time to work on some new material, too."

Just then, they heard a key being jammed into the front door, and the pair gazed out the kitchen door to see Jack stepping through the front door.

"Don't suppose you two could give me a hand with the shopping?" he asked, dumping the carrier bags he was carrying by the door.

The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other, pretending to ponder it for a moment, before mock sighing and heading out of the kitchen and out the front door to help Jack unload the shopping. And the radio continued in the now-quiet kitchen as the DJ announced: "And now, our next song is from the Doctor and Rose Tyler's new album _Parallel_, out today." The song began, and Rose's voice filled the kitchen.

"There's an approaching storm, Growing closer every day, There's an approaching storm, Drawing in from every which way. The Darkness comes, Across the sky, But we'll always be alright, yeah, you and I. The darkness comes, I don't know why, But we'll always be alright, yeah, you and I…"


	10. Track 10

**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry! Last chapter for 'The Parallel Album'.. Read and review :)**

Jack watched in amusement as Rose jumped on her suitcase to get it to close. Only she would leave packing for a month-long trip to America to the last minute. Quite literally. Pete and Jackie were coming to pick her up in half an hour and she'd only just finished jamming everything into her suitcase.

"Got everything?" Jack asked with a smirk, leaning against the doorframe of Rose's bedroom.

Rose glared at him and finished zipping her suitcase closed.

"I think so." Rose admitted, standing up to look around her room.

"Phone charger?" Jack suggested.

"Got it."

"Passport?"

"In my bag."

"Hairbrush?"

"Already packed."

"Said goodbye to Theta?"

Rose blinked, and looked over at Jack.

"He'll be back before I leave." She replied calmly "He was meeting that woman at, what, ten?"

Jack nodded mutely, watching Rose with interest. The Doctor had gone to meet a potential manager, and although he wasn't back yet, Rose seemed adamant she'd see him before she had to leave.

"Rose, that was an hour and a half ago." Jack pointed out gently.

"Yeah, which means he'll be back soon." Rose told him with a shrug "The interview won't take that long."

**~StormWolf10~**

The Doctor fought the urge to bang his head against the table. This woman clearly didn't understand that he was in a hurry. Rose was leaving for the airport in less than an hour and the woman _simply_. _Wouldn't. Stop_.

"Am I boring you?" the woman asked suddenly, sharply.

The Doctor blinked at the annoyance in the woman's tone, and forced himself to pay attention.

"I... No, no, it's just, my… My friend, Rose, she's my vocalist, she's going to America for a month with her family. Well, her Mum and step-Dad. Well, almost step-Dad. But anyway, she's going to America and she's leaving for the airport in less than half an hour, and rather than being at home with Rose and getting to see her off and say goodbye until I see her again in a month, I'm here, in a coffee shop in Chiswick."

The woman blinked as the Doctor seemed to speak all in one breath. She then sniffed, sat a little straighter in her chair and tossed her long ginger hair over her shoulder.

"Ok, you listen here, you skinny-boy-in-a-suit," she announced sharply, one eyebrow raised "I'm not stopping you from going to see your Rose, whoever she is to you, but if you're not going to do this job interview properly then I'm just going to leave. Now, do you want me to be your manager or not?"

The Doctor gaped for a moment or two, unsure what to say, and the woman cleaned her throat purposefully.

"I… Yes. Yes! Sorry, what was your name again?" the Doctor asked, wide-eyed.

The woman huffed.

"Donna. Donna Noble."

"Well, Donna Noble, how about we get this interview wrapped up? The Doctor asked with a grin.

**~StormWolf10~**

The Doctor was sprinting down the road, silently cursing himself for not keeping an eye on the time. He'd managed to get the interview with Donna wrapped up in ten minutes, giving him twenty minutes to get back to Guildford. He'd hailed a cab, but jumped out with still fifteen streets away from their house when they'd gotten stuck in traffic. He'd thrown a handful of notes at the cabbie, telling the bemused man to keep the change as he took off down the street. He had a scrap of paper fisted in one hand- Donna Noble's phone number; he had to discuss it with Jack and Rose before they hired the woman, after all- and his front door keys in the other. Finally, though, he had to stop to breathe. It was at that moment the Doctor knew he wasn't going to make it. That didn't stop him from beginning to run again, somehow pulling his phone out and dialling Jack's number- thank god for speed dial, the Doctor thought wryly. On the second ring, Jack picked up.

"Christ, Theta! Where are you? Jackie and Pete have just arrived, they've loaded Rose's stuff up but she's stalling for time! Jackie's getting impatient…" Jack announced down the phone.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Listen, Jack, interview ran over… Bloody woman wouldn't stop talking about her ex-fiancé who left her. Lance, I think his name was… Anyway, I don't think I'm gonna get there in time. I'm running as fast as I can, tell Rose that, I'm trying to make it. But there's only so long she can stall Jackie…"

The Doctor was rambling down the phone, his breathing ragged, and Jack could tell he'd been running for quite a while. But it wasn't enough. By now, a reluctant Rose was being ushered into the back of Pete's Lexus, as she waved sadly at Jack who waved back. Just then, the Doctor's voice came over the line again, breathing hard.

"Just… Speak to Rose, tell her… Tell her…"

As the Doctor spoke, hope rose in Jack, and his eyes widened. By now, Pete and Jackie were in the car, the engine was on, they were pulling away. Before Jack was aware of what he was doing, he was out the front door, trying to chase down the car, but it was already gathering speed and Jack wasn't wearing shoes. The gravel of their drive cut into his feet, and he winced. But he had to do this for the Doctor, for Rose, for the pair of them, because he was so, so sure… And then he heard the Doctor sigh, and Jack could tell he'd stopped running. He could tell the Doctor had given up. And then he heard the Doctor's murmured, desperate words down the phone.

"Oh, she knows."


End file.
